1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to enclosure assemblies for portable electronic devices, and more particularly to an enclosure assembly for a portable electronic device which is easy to assemble and disassemble.
2. Prior Art
There are two widely used methods to assemble an enclosure assembly for a portable electronic device such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA). One way uses screws; the other way uses press-fit structures.
However, assembling and disassembling the enclosure is time-consuming when screws are used. The force imposed on every screw is not ensured to be uniform and stress can be produced within the materials of the enclosure.
An enclosure which uses a press-fit structure is easy to assemble. However, it is not as easy to disassemble the enclosure and generally requires the use of special tools. In addition, the enclosure is susceptible to being destroyed during disassembly. As a result, ordinary consumers seldom try to disassemble the enclosure, even if they want to change the style of the enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,218 discloses an improved structure of an enclosure for a portable electronic device (referring to FIG. 7). The enclosure comprises an external wall element 62 and a housing element 64. A plurality of notches 622 is defined in interior sidewalls (not labeled) of the external wall element 62, a plurality of attachment means 66 is provided on sidewalls of the housing element 64, corresponding in position to the notches 622. Each attachment means 66 comprises a catch projection 662 and an activation element 664 integrally formed therewith. When the enclosure is assembled, the external wall element 62 is pressed against the housing element 64, and the catch projections 662 catch in the notches 622. The external wall element 62 is thus secured to the housing element 64. To disassemble the enclosure, the activation elements 664 are pressed inwards and the projections 662 move inwardly together with the activation elements 664. The catch projections 662 then disengage from the notches 622, and the external wall element 62 is thus separated from the housing element 64. This enclosure structure prevents the enclosure from being destroyed during disassembly. However, a large amount of force has to be exerted against the activation elements 664 since the activation elements 664 are positioned below the projections 662, near the fulcrum of the attachment means 66. In addition, all the activation elements 664 must be pressed at the same time to disassemble the enclosure, which is difficult for some consumers to do.